Month: July 2018

“Leaders are rarely accidental. Most of them aspire something to improve society according to their personal values and cultural orientation. “

All great leaders begin with a dream. They aspire to become authorities in some particular fields. They also think and believe that they can achieve their dreams. They are actually visionaries. They begin with an idea that they would someday become leaders according to the likings their hearts and end up industry leaders. Social scientists believe that we are what we think. Action is guided by thinking. We can only achieve what strongly think and dream. If we do not aspire to become leaders, then we can never be one. Aspiring leaders think outside the box to explore new horizons to serve humanity.

Leaders are rarely accidental. Most of them aspire something to improve society according to their personal values and cultural orientation. It’s true that leaders are made, not born. No one is born a leader, unless he or she inherited it because of the social status of their parents. Thus, if one is born a member of a political clan or family, he or she can assume the political leadership of their parents as a form of what sociologists call as ascribed status or a form of social status acquired from birth. But most business leaders who are innovative and who opened new fields in today’s technological world are made through their own efforts and through the conducive social and business environments that provided them a “break” or opportunity to lead a group or industry. Steve Jobs, for example, could not become a leader in technology innovation if the digital technology did not flourish during his time. The latest technologies provided him with new tools and opportunities to actualize his dreams! Bill Gates would not also become the founder of the Microsoft and a leader of the software technology if technology did not shift from analog to digital and without the invention of the Internet and personal computers. Achieving leadership is not only a matter of personal effort. The social milieu must also be “friendly” or conducive to the dreamer or aspiring leader! And if the dreamer is really serious in achieving something to improve society in some particular fields, then the content of his or her dream must be based on real life situations; otherwise, the dream is only a wishful or idle thinking without a serious effort on the part of the dreamer to actualize it. This is not the kind of dream that great leaders think! What they think is achieving breakthroughs of humankind’s current perennial problems that make life difficult for people. Great leaders in business, for instance, think and invent products and services that improve the current market or open up a new market altogether or niche.

Contemporary Leadership as Achieved Social Status

Most leadership that happen in contemporary society is achieved status, i.e, acquired by the person through personal achievement and effort. That is why in urban society, most leaders are guided by personal aspirations that one day they would become industry leaders. They just don’t sit around and wait for the opportunities to come. Instead they explore real human needs, study how they can address them, and work tirelessly to achieve them. They never give up when they encounter obstacles and frustrations along the way. Most great leaders in today’s business world did not achieve their leadership status by wishful thinking or leading a comfortable life. They live a very difficult life before they achieve their dream and become leaders of their chosen fields. Jack Ma, for instance, did not become the leader of the Alibaba Group in China and become one of the richest men of his country without undergoing humiliation of being rejected by Harvard Business School twelve times and experiencing some seemingly insurmountable obstacles in achieving his dream. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg had to drop from Harvard University to focus on their dreams. The road to success and leadership is painful but inwardly rewarding for aspirants in achieved leadership status. Most of these business leaders did not acquire their leadership by ascription or comfort, but by extreme personal sacrifice and determination, seeing achievement of their dreams and glory beyond the horizon not seen by ordinary mortals.

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In this post, we are going to examine why today’s business leaders and billionaires are becoming younger and unorthodox in their ways as shown in the type of clothes they wear in public such as t-shirts and jeans or denims!

The traditional dress code for business leaders is the corporate attire and not t-shirts and denim pants! So, what’s wrong with our current age that the new breed of CEOs just wear ordinary clothes reserved for the young or teenagers?

Take note that with the advent of digital technology and the cyberspace, the locus of doing business has shifted from the ordinary physical space to the wired or electronic space of the Internet and the hyperreal! From the physical store to the online store! From face-to-face interaction to online interaction mediated by the computer or smart phone screen!

Those who lead and use the latest technologies and the emerging global trade based on intellectual property are now the emerging breed of business leaders—billionaires who wear t-shirts, jeans or denims. Yes! They literally wear denims and t-shirts because they are relatively young people who earn their money by creatively exploring the business opportunities offered by the current technological and intellectual property age!

Wearing shirts and denims instead of the typical coat and tie for business leaders also indicates a new image and social status for today’s new breed of entrepreneurs. Research studies showed that deliberate deviations from convention had a powerful effect on others. It implies that people who deliberately break the norms are saying that they cannot be ruled by the current social rules because they are creators of a new set of laws!

GIF Credit: https://giphy.com/gifs/character-belle-4yINQJ7fRU3Fm

The breaking of the traditional dress code for business leaders symbolically conveys the message that the billionaires in jeans are not the traditional business heroes who just sit comfortably in their CEO offices and neatly dressed in their suits, but new type of leaders who can be present anywhere as long as they have the latest gadgets and technologies to create and manage their businesses. They are not afraid to get dirty to raise their next billion online! The jeans and t-shirts symbolize mobility and flexibility which is the spirit of global business characterized by fluidity and liquidity. The territory of their business is not primarily the temporal space of the physical store or office but the cyberspace where their online markets can be found.

Younger people are generally curious and creative compared to older persons which would make them the suitable drivers of today’s digital technology, online interaction, and social media. They are technology savvy who love to tinker with the computer, create new apps or networks in the social media, full of energy to surf and explore the electronic world using their latest gadgets for long hours. Older people are generally less tech-savvy and lack impatient in exploring the complex language and network of the computer world and cyberspace. And yet the new opportunities that create massive and instant wealth are available in the cyberspace and digital technology. They are now in one’s fingertips, in the high-tech and high-speed laptop and smartphones.

Doing business nowadays is now predominantly online. All one has to do is to connect to the cyberspace and be creative in exploring and using the different apps, sites, platforms, social media, software, etc., to create wealth!

GIF credit: https://giphy.com/gifs/empire-1z04xlf6oEVqg

The new breed of leaders do business in the cyberspace where corporate attire is unnecessary as long as they are comfortable with the clothes they wear while using their latest high-tech smartphones and gadgets for their online business, totally different from the traditional leaders who primarily do business in the physical world where physical looks and attire matter!

Photo credit: Pexels.com

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Among all models on leadership, there is one significant image that can be used as a template for all Christians who want to understand leadership and become a leader–the servant model. According to this model, a servant must always be a person who serves other people and not the other way around. A leader is, above all, a servant to his/her followers or constituents! The teaching of the Gospels on leadership is still the best model for all those aspiring to become Christian leaders in their chosen field.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matt. 20:26).

John Maxwell, a well-known Evangelical Christian pastor and popular guru on leadership knows more about the Christian model of leadership, being an expert on the Bible and Christian ministry. Maxwell is a leadership expert, speaker, and author and founder of INJOY, Maximum Impact, The John Maxwell Team, ISS and EQUIP, organizations all focusing on leadership development to help business leaders. Overall, Maxwell basically applies the servant model in the field of business management and aims to form Christian leaders.

The Biblical model of leadership transcends all other theorizing on leadership. The Christian model has the following important characteristics as illustrated by some Biblical stories:

The Story of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-12). A Christian leader protects his/her followers from external threats to their personal and social security. With great faith in God, a Christian leader is ready to die for what is good for his/her constituents. A Christian manager, for instance, knows how to protect his/her employees from retrenchment, unjust accusations, violence, threats, politics, and unfair labor practice in the workplace.

The Last Supper (Mt. 26:17–30, Mk. 14:12–26, Lk. 22:7–39 and Jn. 13:1–17:26) . A Christian leader joyfully serves his/her followers. S/he does not desire to be served by those who depend on him/her. Christ washing of the feet of the apostles symbolizes a humble leader who does aim for public praise and social prestige of becoming a leader. A Christian leader does his/her job as a shepherd to his/her followers because it is part his/her response to God’s calling that those want to be the greatest must be a servant to all. Christian leadership is not driven by the desire for success or wealth but to establish God’s Kingdom in the workplace or society. It requires a strong spirituality of work and a drive to follow what Christ said that He came to earth to serve and not to be served.

The Story of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12). The story of John the Baptist in the Gospels implies that a Christian leader must also be a prophet to society. To be a prophet is to preach the Christian message in the midst of oppression and exploitation of people in the workplace or society. A Christian leader must have a strong social awareness of what is going on in his/her social environment and courageous enough to point out to powerful people and enemies the social injustices they have done to his/her constituents or followers. This personal courage of the leader emanates from his/her strong faith in God.

For Christians, there is no other model but Christ Himself who died on the cross to save humanity from personal and social sins. Christ does not expect people who want to imitate Him as a leader to live a comfortable life. There will be persecutions and all forms of suffering for Christian leaders who aim to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. But Christ assured them with these words:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3, NKJV).

Photo credit: Pexels.com free photos

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People think that leadership is something abstract and ideal that needs to be pursued and actualized by studying theories from management schools. But actually leadership begins at home. Fatherhood is the foundation of leadership. Who you are as a father can characterize your basic character as a leader in society. As a father in the family you become the first teacher of leadership to your children! How you deal with them at home is their first lesson of leadership.

Primary socialization begins in the family! Before your children learn theories on how to become leaders in the outside world, they first learn it from you as their father. Thus, your role as a dad in your family is crucial in determining what kind of leaders your children would become in the future.

Of course, you can argue that your children will learn great theories on leadership, anyway, when they study the best business schools in the world. You may be right somehow, but social scientists believe that the basic socialization of children on how to become human and leader begins during the formative years, i.e., from birth up to 13 years old. This period has a great impact to the child’s character and personality. Thus, the early social learning of the children on how to deal with people begins at home with the leadership of their parents, particularly that of their fathers as head of the household.

Sociologists discover that there is a basic pattern on how fathers form or socialize their children in society based on social class. Fathers coming from the lower classes tend to emphasize discipline and conformity in raising their children as many of them are workers in business firms who get used to being ordered or commanded by their supervisors and managers.

But fathers who come from the middle or upper classes tend to emphasize creativity and personal discretion on their children, as many of them are managers and decision makers. So, by social class, the professional and rich dads tend to socialize their children on how to deal or manage people, while poor dads tend instill discipline and obedience to their children. Of course, children from poor families when they get higher education and move up in the social class ladder can overcome the limitations of their family upbringing through formal education. Indeed, education is a great equalizer in life!

A good manager must not only possess superior technical skills but also social managerial skills. After all, the primary role of the manager is to guide and supervise people under his/her care, not machines and robots. The word “good” here implies a value judgment and a set of standards of what constitutes a good or bad trait. And since business has diverse standards of what constitutes a “good” or “bad” manager, it is expected that what is good in one company may be not good in another company. What is common, however, is that all managers, regardless of the type and size of business, deal with people and employees with different personality, attitude, ability, talent, and experience in the company. Like a conductor in an orchestra, a good manager is one who knows how to blend and unify the various social circumstances of his/her employees in the workplace to achieve the company’s short and long-term goals. What makes a manager different from a rank-and-file employee is his/her discretionary power. S/he has the power when and how a company policy or goal can be actualized in the workplace through his/her intervention. Thus, a manager who has 4 of the traits below can be considered “good” and effective in today’s global age.

1. Familiar with the company’s organizational Culture.

First of all, a good manager must be familiar with the organizational culture of the company. This trait requires that the manager must be observant, analytical, broad-minded and with longer exposure in the company. S/he should have a firm grasp of “how things work” inside the organization: the goals, rules and sanctions of the company, internal politics and the degree of influence of power cliques inside the firm, as well as the overall social networking process inside and outside the company. The more the manager is familiar with the overall system of the company, the more s/he can be effective to fit his/her own office or area of responsibility in the overall scheme and direction of the business firm.With his/her superior knowledge of the culture or “way of life” of people inside his/her company, s/he can “make things done” despite bureaucratic limitations and obstacles.

In particular, s/he must know whether his/her company is generally personalistic, that is, social interaction and transaction are basically based on social ties rather than on qualification and merit. In sole proprietorship or smaller enterprises, the employees are usually affiliated with owners as relative, friend or co-ethic. Thus, the manager must be careful in dealing with employees who are close to the owners. But in highly complex and rational system of big companies, merit, rather social ties, usually predominats the overall cultural system of the business firm. In this case, the manager can be more efficient and professional in dealing with employees and situations in his/her office or area of responsibility.

2. Prudent in his/her exercise of managerial power and authority.

A manager must be prudent in the exercise of his/her power and authority in the company. Authority is a legitimate form of power delegated by the company to the manager in administering the firm as specified in the company’s manual. In theory, the manager must only act within the scope of his/her authority. But in some cases, s/he goes beyond this boundary such as dominating or bullying his/her employees–and thus act using his/her personal power and status rather than his/her authority. S/he must remember the saying: “If there is power, there is resistance”! If the manager wants to avoid nasty rumors and gossip from his/her subordinate, s/he must exercise moderation and prudence with regard to power and authority. This does not mean that s/he should not show anger especially if the situation requires it to achieve targets. What is important is that the employee must feel that the coercion was done by the manager in good faith and for the good of the company and not as a response to a grudge.

Active Resistance

If employees sense that their manager goes beyond his/her authority and thus abuse his/her power, active and passive social resistance would more likely occur. Active resistance is an overt or open form of opposition to the manager’s management style. Unreasonable impositions by the manager on the employees usually invite social resistance such as gossiping and rumor mongering. If the maltreatment or bullying of the manager becomes harsh, employees may manifest their active resistance by answering back to the manager’s rants or other forms of defiance. They can write petition letters or complaints to a higher authority or openly disobeying the manager’s command. Active resistance is easy for the manager to identify and control since it is usually done openly. What is difficult is passive or covert resistance. This often done at his/her back. This needs some sociological sense to discover that the employees resist

Passive Resistance

Passive resistance is an indirect or covert form of resistance. If employees do not want the personality and management style of the manager, they don’t usually show it openly to avoid sanctions. Instead, they would usually do it indirectly such as spreading rumors and gossip against the manager. They can also intentional miss their targets, underperform their tasks and invent all sorts of excuses for their sloppy job. In this case, the manager cannot achieve his/her assigned goals and targets in the firm, making him/her an ineffective leader in the eyes of the top management or owners of the company. These resistant acts may appear insignificant to many people but they can create a ripple effect which can result in an organized opposition against the manager. A good manager therefore is a person who is prudent in the exercise of his/her power and authority, avoiding active and passive resistance, for the good of the company. A good manager is must also be open to dialogue with disgruntled employees to understand and address the root cause of their problems..

3. Familiar with the latest technology for business.

With growing digitalisation of business, a good manager must be familiar with the latest Internet and computer skills and applications for business, particularly with the use of the social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other growing networking sites for business. With the advent of the digital, cyber and electronic spaces, physical presence is no longer necessary with the latest Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). Multitasking would be made easy because of the digital technology. A manager maybe away from his office, attending a conference and yet s/he can still attend to the day-to-day activities of his/her office with the use of his/her smart phones and wireless broadband or other high-tech devices and applications. The ICTs are also indispensable for a good manager in marketing formally or informally the company’s products and services.

4. Sensitive to his/her employees’ needs.

Finally, one of the most important traits a good manager must possess is sensitivity to his/her employees’ needs. The role of the manager is not only to achieve the company’s business goals and forecasts but also to protect and nurture the company’s most important asset—the employees. If employees feel happy, contented, and supported by the manager in what they do, their productivity and loyalty to the company would intensify and the company’s goals would then be easier to achieve. If this happens, the top management, will take notice of the manager’s capacity and and would be persuaded to promote him to higher post and responsibility.The employees’ feeling of being respected and valued by their company through their manager would surely result in increased productivity, efficiency and profit for the company. The famous Pope John Paul II in his papal encyclical or letter entitled Centisimus Annus (One Hundred Years), said that employees’ welfare in the company is more important than just earning more profit in a sesne that a business enterprise is a community of persons aimed at serving the public through products and services.

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The German sociologist Max Weber identified three ideal types of leadership in which authority may rest: (1) charismatic, (2) traditional, and (3) rational-legal. In any society or institution, the power of the leader may be exercised on the basis of a mixture of these 3 types of leadership.

1. Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic Leadership is founded on the personal traits and gifts of the leader. The more authentic these personal traits are as perceived by the people, the higher is the legitimacy of the leader. People obey the leader, not primarily because of certain laws or traditions, but because of his/her personal talents. Because it is a personalized form of authority, charismatic leadership tends to be unstable. It does not normally survive after the death of the original leader, and it often abandons the leader while he or she is alive. Charismatic leaders in history include Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, St. Francis of Asisi, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, etc.

In corporate settings, charismatic leaders like Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few, are creative, innovative, and visionary people. They have extraordinary talents that ordinary managers do not possess. They usually introduce innovation, creativity, or unique management style in their business environments.

2. Traditional authority

Traditional leadership is one that is based on some sort of tradition that is handed down from the past. The leader is obeyed by the people as a legitimate leader because of a formal or informal norm handed down by great leaders or managers from the past. This kind of leadership is based on customs and traditions of the business firms. The leader is not usually innovative but conservative. He or she is just continuing what is being practiced by the company based on tradition.

The ordination of a priest by a bishop is an example of traditional authority. The new priest received his power and authority by way of tradition, and people obey him as a legitimate spiritual pastor of the Church. Succession in monarchy is also done through traditional authority. Tradition dictates that only persons with royal blood can ascend to the throne.

3. Rational-Legal Leadership

The last type of leadership proposed by Max Weber is the most common type of authority in modern and contemporary society. This leadership is based on a set of rules, and the belief in the legitimacy of the process of rule creation and enforcement. This form of domination is routinized through bureaucracy. The leader assumes the right to exercise power over the people because the law says so.

The leader’s authority is held by legally established impersonal orders and extends to people only by virtue of the offices they hold. The power of government officials, for instance, is determined by the offices to which they are appointed or elected because of their individual qualifications. As long as individuals hold these offices, they have a certain amount of power. But once they leave office, their rational-legal authority is also lost. Though personal traits also count in the selection process, a fixed law becomes the primary legitimizer of the leader’s capacity to exercise leadership. His authority expires when he retires or becomes incapacitated as stipulated by law.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

What kind of a leader are you? Which type of leadership do you aim to achieve?

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1. Treat People Well

There is no other sure way to succeed in business than treating people who are connected to the company. They can be employees, customers, managers, suppliers, and all other internal and external customers. The purpose of business is actually forming a community of persons with individual and family needs. John Zimmer, founder and president of Lyft said:

“Treating people well is great for business; it is complementary to doing well in business. What I do know is that most businesses require other people to help you get where you need to go. Whether that’s our employees, which we call team members, whether that’s in our case the drivers or customers, passengers who are using the service, great service, great hospitality, treating people well, having a good set of values. That is great for business” (Mazarais & Shotell, 2017).

2. Eliminate all needless busywork.

A highly successful leader in a hugely profitable business is usually well-organized and knows his or her priorities and hierarchy of values in the company. At some point they all wonder, “Why is it so impossible to get everything done?”

But the answer is stunningly simple: We’re doing too many of the wrong things.

“Several research studies have shown that people never get more done by blindly working more hours on everything that comes up. Instead, they get more done when they follow careful plans that measure and track key priorities and milestones. So if you want to be more successful and less stressed, don’t ask how to make something more efficient until you’ve first asked, “Do I need to do this at all?” (Quora.com).

2. Empower people in your company.

Doing business is a team effort. It is not a one-man show. The business leader must know this fact. To be successful, he or she must know how to delegate power and empower people to become leaders in their own departments or areas of responsibility. Jason Downes: managing director at Powownow said:

“We should all take some time to consider how our own words impact those around us, whether making someone feel more confident or helping empower your colleagues at work.”

3. Spend time to understand the organizational culture.

A good business leader in a highly profitable company must know the corporate or organizational culture. When a CEO or manager is appointed to a company, he or she must first take some time to study the corporate culture before he or she starts governing the business firm. The corporate culture refers to the entire way of life of the company that includes people and non-human components of business.

John Brennan, CIA Director under the Obama Administration says:

“The most important thing for anybody who’s going to be taking on that responsibility, is use your first period of time, whether it be six, nine, 12 months, to learn as much as you can about the organization that you’re running. Understand how it interacts within itself, how it inter-operates with the rest of the intelligence community and the US government. You really need to have that in-depth understanding and knowledge in order for you to have the wisdom … (Mazarakis & Shontell, 2017).

3. Be transparent in running your business.

As more companies open up about their processes and methods, customers are becoming savvier and hungrier for transparency. Fortunately, transparency does not require you to fork over trade secrets but it does mean being honest about how you conduct business. Your customers want to feel they can trust you. Openness and information sharing helps to build that trust (Ibid.).

4. Encourage employees to express their creativity.

“Profitable and sustainable enterprises thrive on original thinking while copycat businesses shutter their doors as soon as the idea they have stolen loses its relevance. Since the successful conception and development of viable business ideas takes time and requires a flexible corporate structure, try setting aside a dedicated amount of resources to allow your employees to be creative on their own terms” (Ibid).

“Google does this by giving its engineers 20 percent of their time to work on any project they want. This allows team members to develop products they are passionate about. Many times, that means more care and attention goes into each effort. Gmail is the most famous consequence of Google’s generous 20 percent time policy” (Ibid.).

5. Develop your business in line with technology.

In today’s business world, technology is king. With the advent of information and communication technologies as well as the Internet, a highly profitable business must use creatively the latest technologies. Physical stores, for instance, are now gradually replaced by online stores because of technology, traditional marketing with digital marketing, walk-in hiring by online recruitment via the social media. “As the world becomes more mobile, if you aren’t making your business mobile, every minute your potential customers are passing you by and using companies that do use the the new way to engage.”

GIF Credits: Giphy.com

References

Kittaneh, F. (4 May 2015). “6 Secrets of Business Leaders Who Built Hugely Successful Companies”. Entrepreneur. Retrived from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245268.

The German sociologist Max Weber identified three ideal types of leadership in which authority may rest: (1) charismatic, (2) traditional, and (3) rational-legal. In any society or institution, the power of the leader may be exercised on the basis of a mixture of these 3 types of leadership.

1. Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic Leadership is founded on the personal traits and gifts of the leader. The more authentic these personal traits are as perceived by the people, the higher is the legitimacy of the leader. People obey the leader, not primarily because of certain laws or traditions, but because of his/her personal talents. Because it is a personalized form of authority, charismatic leadership tends to be unstable. It does not normally survive after the death of the original leader, and it often abandons the leader while he or she is alive. Charismatic leaders in history include Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, St. Francis of Asisi, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, etc.

In corporate settings, charismatic leaders like Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few, are creative, innovative, and visionary people. They have extraordinary talents that ordinary managers do not possess. They usually introduce innovation, creativity, or unique management style in their business environments.

2. Traditional authority

Traditional leadership is one that is based on some sort of tradition that is handed down from the past. The leader is obeyed by the people as a legitimate leader because of a formal or informal norm handed down by great leaders or managers from the past. This kind of leadership is based on customs and traditions of the business firms. The leader is not usually innovative but conservative. He or she is just continuing what is being practiced by the company based on tradition.

The ordination of a priest by a bishop is an example of traditional authority. The new priest received his power and authority by way of tradition, and people obey him as a legitimate spiritual pastor of the Church. Succession in monarchy is also done through traditional authority. Tradition dictates that only persons with royal blood can ascend to the throne.

3. Rational-Legal Leadership

The last type of leadership proposed by Max Weber is the most common type of authority in modern and contemporary society. This leadership is based on a set of rules, and the belief in the legitimacy of the process of rule creation and enforcement. This form of domination is routinized through bureaucracy. The leader assumes the right to exercise power over the people because the law says so.

The leader’s authority is held by legally established impersonal orders and extends to people only by virtue of the offices they hold. The power of government officials, for instance, is determined by the offices to which they are appointed or elected because of their individual qualifications. As long as individuals hold these offices, they have a certain amount of power. But once they leave office, their rational-legal authority is also lost. Though personal traits also count in the selection process, a fixed law becomes the primary legitimizer of the leader’s capacity to exercise leadership. His authority expires when he retires or becomes incapacitated as stipulated by law.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

What kind of a leader are you? Which type of leadership do you aim to achieve?

Thanks for reading this post. Sign up with our newsletter or follow this blog via email for more updates.

First of all, the meaning of colors in society is cultural. Color goes beyond appearance, but generates a cultural experience. It reminds one of his/her experience and social upbringing in society. It offers an instantaneous visual way to associate meaning to a particular individual, company or industry. People from various cultures give different meaning and interpretation to colors. And the color red is one of the primary colors which can have different meanings to individuals in society. In urban societies, red is a dominant and attention-grabbing color. Just look around and you will see red in people’s clothes, billboards, cars, buildings, logos, etc. Red isan energetic and vivid influence within the business and romantic world. In general, people associate many positive things to color red. Let us cite some few things in business where red is highly valuable and desirable.

Color Red in Business

Red is generally a “warm” color. “Red” holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day are often associated with warmth, love, and giving. Some entrepreneurs capitalize on the popularity of red to improve their sales and business. Coca Cola is the most popular and biggest-selling soft drink in history, as well as one of the most recognizable brands in the world and the color of its name and logo is red. Created in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. John S. Pemberton, Coca-Cola was first offered as a fountain beverage at Jacob’s Pharmacy by mixing Coca-Cola syrup with carbonated water. Coca-Cola was patented in 1887, registered as a trademark in 1893. In 1899, Coca-Cola began franchised bottling operations in the United States and in 1906 bottling operations for Coca-Cola began to expand internationally.

There is a popular theory about color in China. China’s emperor has a theory of the five elements to select a color. The color green stands for wood, red stands for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water. And the color red symbolizes luck and happiness. Chinese people believe that red can be a sign of joy and fortune. That is why the Chinese New Year and other official or traditional holidays are full of red. Also, any older people or people that have been married usually give red envelope as red is a sign of good luck.The choice of color in business logos can speak a lot about the company’s brand.

Close your eyes and think about the color of the name Coca Cola or Coke is black, would you think that the company will reach its prestige today had it not been red in color? Or if McDonald’s famous golden arches were had been gray? Would the burger chain be the international success it is today? Color is a key part of any brand. “Whether your logo is red and intense, yellow and joyful or black and mysterious, its colors are announcing something to the customer. Take note that red, maroon, yellow, and orange are hot colors. Thus, McDonald’s use yellow-gold for its arches since they are selling hot burgers and meals.

Products that need heat or suggesting something sexy or romantic must use hot colors; thus, red for Valentine’s day products such cards and ribbons. Blue, purple, and green are cool colors. Therefore, cool products such as drinks and refreshers or deodorant and related products must use cool colors to convey the nature of the firm’s goods. As a company creates the perfect logo, it must sure to pay attention to the color messages they’re sending.” Take a look at the following highly popular logos and you will notice that they mostly are in red:

1. Treat People Well

There is no other sure way to succeed in business than treating people who are connected to the company. They can be employees, customers, managers, suppliers, and all other internal and external customers. The purpose of business is actually forming a community of persons with individual and family needs. John Zimmer, founder and president of Lyft said:

“Treating people well is great for business; it is complementary to doing well in business. What I do know is that most businesses require other people to help you get where you need to go. Whether that’s our employees, which we call team members, whether that’s in our case the drivers or customers, passengers who are using the service, great service, great hospitality, treating people well, having a good set of values. That is great for business” (Mazarais & Shotell, 2017).

2. Eliminate all needless busywork.

A highly successful leader in a hugely profitable business is usually well-organized and knows his or her priorities and hierarchy of values in the company. At some point they all wonder, “Why is it so impossible to get everything done?”

But the answer is stunningly simple: We’re doing too many of the wrong things.

“Several research studies have shown that people never get more done by blindly working more hours on everything that comes up. Instead, they get more done when they follow careful plans that measure and track key priorities and milestones. So if you want to be more successful and less stressed, don’t ask how to make something more efficient until you’ve first asked, “Do I need to do this at all?” (Quora.com).

2. Empower people in your company.

Doing business is a team effort. It is not a one-man show. The business leader must know this fact. To be successful, he or she must know how to delegate power and empower people to become leaders in their own departments or areas of responsibility. Jason Downes: managing director at Powownow said:

“We should all take some time to consider how our own words impact those around us, whether making someone feel more confident or helping empower your colleagues at work.”

3. Spend time to understand the organizational culture.

A good business leader in a highly profitable company must know the corporate or organizational culture. When a CEO or manager is appointed to a company, he or she must first take some time to study the corporate culture before he or she starts governing the business firm. The corporate culture refers to the entire way of life of the company that includes people and non-human components of business.

John Brennan, CIA Director under the Obama Administration says:

“The most important thing for anybody who’s going to be taking on that responsibility, is use your first period of time, whether it be six, nine, 12 months, to learn as much as you can about the organization that you’re running. Understand how it interacts within itself, how it inter-operates with the rest of the intelligence community and the US government. You really need to have that in-depth understanding and knowledge in order for you to have the wisdom … (Mazarakis & Shontell, 2017).

3. Be transparent in running your business.

As more companies open up about their processes and methods, customers are becoming savvier and hungrier for transparency. Fortunately, transparency does not require you to fork over trade secrets but it does mean being honest about how you conduct business. Your customers want to feel they can trust you. Openness and information sharing helps to build that trust (Ibid.).

4. Encourage employees to express their creativity.

“Profitable and sustainable enterprises thrive on original thinking while copycat businesses shutter their doors as soon as the idea they have stolen loses its relevance. Since the successful conception and development of viable business ideas takes time and requires a flexible corporate structure, try setting aside a dedicated amount of resources to allow your employees to be creative on their own terms” (Ibid).

“Google does this by giving its engineers 20 percent of their time to work on any project they want. This allows team members to develop products they are passionate about. Many times, that means more care and attention goes into each effort. Gmail is the most famous consequence of Google’s generous 20 percent time policy” (Ibid.).

5. Develop your business in line with technology.

In today’s business world, technology is king. With the advent of information and communication technologies as well as the Internet, a highly profitable business must use creatively the latest technologies. Physical stores, for instance, are now gradually replaced by online stores because of technology, traditional marketing with digital marketing, walk-in hiring by online recruitment via the social media. “As the world becomes more mobile, if you aren’t making your business mobile, every minute your potential customers are passing you by and using companies that do use the the new way to engage.”

GIF Credits: Giphy.com

References

Kittaneh, F. (4 May 2015). “6 Secrets of Business Leaders Who Built Hugely Successful Companies”. Entrepreneur. Retrived from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245268.